Newspaper Page Text
TVESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1924.
>J,4
SOUL w.% a
*1 h VICTOR ROUSSEAU \ ^
g a COPYRIGHT by WG.CHAPMAN
A * I
,1.0*
Chapter I
“I let him see I wouldn’t stand for
any language like that, and I reckon
he understood, even if I didn’t have
to say much,” remarked the dark
haired girl to Joan Wentworth. “It
doesn’t seem to have occurred to Doc
tor Lancaster yet that a nurse is a
human being under her uniform.
"If he’d treat us half as nicely as
he treats some of his lady friends,”
she added, ln a suggestive tone that
changed into the accentuation of ordi
nary speech under Joan’s discouraging
look. “I’ve seen him driving them
round town nights in his auto, and
I’ve never seen the same one twice. 1
guess he takes it out on us when
they've been mean to him.”
Joan did not answer her. She was
watching the head surgeon as he came
Into the operating theater. At his en
trance the general buzz of conversa
tion censed, as if the outpouring of
words had been cut off with a knife.
The students on the benches settled
themselves in their places and craned
their heads forward intently. The two
assistant surgeons, Ivers and MacPber
son, assumed attitudes of constrain•.
for everybody was constrained in La:'
caster’s presence. The orderly, wh
had been peering through the crack
of the swinging door into the anes
thetic room, where the hegd nurse was
holding the patient’s wrist and watch
ing the face beneath the mask intent
ly. straightened himself and stood up
in military fashion. Only the visiting
doctors seemed at their ease as they
advanced to Shake hands with John
Lancaster.
They had come from several neigh
boring cities, drawn by the news that
Lancaster was to perform his famous
operation of arterial excision, which
was just then the subject of discussion
in the medical press. Plenty of sur
'geons had tried to remove a section
of one of the larger blood vessels, but
only Lancaster had succeeded in
bringing down the mortality to 15 per
cent
Lancaster was something of a mys
tery both to his colleagues and to the
nursing staff. The Lancaster fund
supported the Southern hospital, and
John Lancaster was firmly established
at the head of the institution. The
of g ua r d ians, wirfeh existed- ac
cording to the terms laid down in his
father’s will, had apparently only an
advisory capacity, and It was supple
and plastic In Lancaster’s hands. And
John Lancaster was more feared and
admired than any doctor In the
country.
Feared by most for his tyranny, ad
mired by a very few on account of his
extraordinary skill, he seemed to have
a duaf personality. The man whose
fast life was tire scandal of the con
servative little southern seaport, who
was ostracized by the better families,
whose infrequent appearances in the
hospital were usually the occasion for
injustice, storms and disniissals.
changed ln the operating theater into
a man whose gentleness and humility
and skill made him adored for the time
by all who came into contact with him.
But it was only rarely that a case
occurred that required his attention.
On such occasions ills manner was
ln itself remarkable, He would slip
stealthily into his private room, dress
there. and emerge masked like a
mummy to perform his miracle almost
in silence, and afterward to make his
escape In a way suggestive of his hav
ing performed some shameful action.
So much Joan Wentworth had heard.
Naturally she watched his entrance on
this, her first day of surgical work,
with absorbed Interest. But Lancaster
came ln unmasked, nnd Joan could dis
cern nothing humble or secretive in
the self satisfied face or the brisk
manner in which he greeted the visit
ing surgeons.
He looked a man of seven or eight
and thirty, and he bore his years
heavily. The eyes were lined nnd
little sunken; the features, which Jonn
had seen only a few times during her
eighteen months of work at the hos
pital, exer ed, ns they bad always
done, a rntfier repellent effect upon the
girl. The face was eminently cruel
and hard. Nevertheless the man ob
viously dominated the assembly.
He dominated her. She was much
more afraid of some nervous lapse In
Lancaster’s presence than of seeing
the use of the knife. The hissing of
the steam tank, the nervous luova
hients of the spectators upon the
benches, whose heads seemed to swing
with a uniform and rhythmical motion,
the deepening sense of constraint,
acted upon her with a sort of hypnotic
effect not lessened by Lancaster’s de
clslve manner.
She pulled the tray of Instruments
out of the boiling water and set it
down upon the table by the side of
the bichloride solution. Lancaster,
who had been pulling on bis rubber 1
gloves, enp ™ to ’ - r side a*- ’ 'ilur red
both hantL into the antis. .c fluid.
„
There was a look of self-conscious sat
isfaction upon his face, and Joan
thought that every gesture and^ach
movement was designed to 1 iress
the visitors. Presently she became
sure of It The man was acting. A
feeling of disgust came over her.
Lancaster cast a quick glance at
Joan.
“New nurse?” he asked.
“My first morning of surgical work,
Doctor Lancaster," she answered.
He grunted in a contemptuous sort
of way. Joan flushed to the hair. He
turned to the other girl.
44 Yon there I” he shouted, "Look
alive with those sponges!” And he
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The Struggle Ceased; the Man Sighed
Deeply and His Limbs Relaxed.
cast a quick glance toward the visi
tors, as If to see whether they appre
ciated his harshness.
A look of chagrin came over the
dark-haired girl’s face, but she ran to
obey and dropped the wet sponges into
the bichloride with shaking fingers. At
the same moment the swing door
opendd and the stretcher with the pa
tient appeared, wheeled by the op
Uerly. Behind it walked the head
nurse, still maintaining her crouching
attitude as she moved. The stretcher i
stopped inside the theater! nnd the
head nurse and orderly lifted the man
who tay upon it on the glass table.
He mumbled and tried to raise him
setf. The nurse put her hands about
his shoulders, pressing them down,
while the orderly held the body, pro
testing against the indignity about to
be offered to It, to which It had em
phatieally not consented, whatever ar
rangement had been decreed by the
brain. Lancaster’s harsh voice boomed
through the theater: “That’s no way
to bring a patient here, Miss Symons!
Deep anesthesia 1”
The head nurse lifted her face for
an InstauL There’s a history of ne
phritis, Doctor Lancaster,” she said.
The pulse is 150, and Doctor Mac
Pherson said—’’
“Who’s running this business?”
Shouted Lancaster, striding toward
her; and Joan was sure that he
looked out of the corner of his eye
toward the visitors.
He snatched the green ether bottle
out of the nurse’s hand and poured
a quantity of the fluid upon the mask.
Tltp struggle ceased, the man. sighed
deeply, and his limbs relaxed The
nauseating stench of the ether fumes
made Joan’s head reel, It seemed to
fill the theater. Miss Symons, flusti
Ing. but displaying no resentment,
took the bottle from Lancaster's hand
and resumed her position, holding the
patient g wrist nnd peering into his
face, the green bottle upraised.
T he girl who was in charge of the
sponges whispered bitterly to her:
“He doesn't know how to treat a
woman—not „ indy. He Isn't our kind.
m ust have been on a terrible
racket last night! lie can’t keep up
that gait much longer unless he gives
up his work here.”
Joan ignored her; she had concon
trated nil her attention upon Lancas
ter s probable demands; she was re
solved not to be found wanting, It
was said* that Lancaster was abso
lutely merciless and had ruined many
a girl's career by refusing to allow her
to complete her graduating course. He
was tyrannical, overlooked nothing,
nnd never appreciated good work. Ru
mor went tlmt when a certain nurse
had once handed him benzine Instead
of alcohol he had taken her by the
shoulders and run her bodily out of
Hie hospital, forbidding her to show
ber face there again,
"He can’t last long if he leads that
*° r t of life," the dark-haired girl re
touted. “You’d think he’d be old
have learned how to pre-
GRIFFIN DAILY NEWS
#tod n De i gentleman evee If he
Isn't one." i
Joan shook her off mentally as one
chases away a persistent fly. For the
tenth time she counted the instru
ments in the tray. Lancaster picked
up a scalpel, and MocPhershn and
Ivers took up their positions, one on
either side of him. The operation was
beginning.
The visiting surgeons watched with
an occasional whispered remark. The
assistants already were snapping the
little forceps upon the ends of the di
vided arteries. Lancaster issued his
commands from time to time, without
looking back:
Sponges! ■
4* One—two," whispered the dark
baired girl. “Three—four—five—”
“Bistoury. Scissors. Dilator. Num
ber four Simms.”
Joan never faltered. She felt easier
In her mind, her quick hands found
the instruments In the tray the mo
toent Lancaster demanded them,
Meanwhile the dark-haired girl never
ceased counting the sponges: —^
"Six—seven—eight—-nine—’’
Suddenly Lancaster stopped, wheeled
and turned fiercely upon her. “For
God’s sake, stop that chatter!” he
cried.
The girl let a sponge fall, snatched
it up. and shot an apprehensive
glance at him. Joan saw that she was
losing her nerve in spite of her brave
talk of a few minutes before. It was
the critical time of a very dangerous
and difficult process. She tried to pull
herself together.
Yet, without looking up, she real
ized that a sense of general apprehen
sion had stolen through the operating
theater. The nurse at the head of
the table, looking like a veiled Vestal,
had not shifted her position since the
beginning of the operation, except
that from time to time her hand
shifted slightly as she let one or two
drops of ether fall upon the mask.
MaCPherson and Tvers stirred busilv,
their heads bent level with their
Chief’s as they moved to and fro at
their work. The patient began to
mutter.— Then h hand, upraised in
.
weak protest, struck a clamp from
Ivers’ fingers. It rattled upon the floor.
“Keep him quiet. Miss Symons, con
found you!” shouted Lancaster.
“Doctor Lancaster, the pulse —” she
began. But, after a quick glance at
the head surgeon, she shrugged her
shoulders, tilted the bottle, and delib
erately poured out nearly all the ether
remaining in it The renewed stench
of the anesthetic filled the room. Joan
saw the benches swing, the craning
faces seemed to become multiplied;
Lancaster and the two assistants, the
visiting surgeons were tiny gnomes,
an immense distance away, surround*
Ing a tiny table on which a doll-like
figure lay extended. She tried to
bring them back into focus, but could
not; and, what was worse, she felt
that she had lost her nurse’s sense of
divining the surgeon’s requirements
before he gave expression to them.
The feeling of suspense was grow,
in “- Something was wrong, and al
though nothing had been said, even
the students on the top row of benches
farthest from the table were aware
of it. The assistant doctors appeared
as busy as ever, nnd yet they seemed
-at a loss, and'on ce or twice looked
up at Lancaster ns if his techtilc was
puzzling them. Joan saw two of the
visiting surgeons exchange brief
glances, one with inquiry, the other,
answering, with uplifted eyebrows,
Once Lancaster stopped; he resumed
1,is work, stopped again, and stood
staring at bis work. Then he wheeled
round upon Joan, the upper part of
his body seeming to move upon a
pivot, while his lower limbs remained
stationary,
“That scalpel—quick !” he cried.
Joan started and stretched out her
hands toward the tray, which gleamed
afar off, elusively through a black
cloud.
“The one I handed yon. Don’t
stare at me like a root’”
Joan bent over the tray, putting out
one hand to the table to support her
self. She was conscious that every
tiling was suspended and that every
one was watching her. In the inter
minable interval she heard the pa
tient’s gasping sighs, as if he was
breathing the last wisps of life away.
She fingered the Instruments in the
tray feetiiy and nervelessly, and her
hands seemed numbed and useless.
Her fingers closed on something and
brought It out. Then Lancaster's
hand closed over hers, tore It away,
arid flung it back with a splash. Joan s
hand dropped to her side, paralyzed
by the painful pressure. The next tn
stunt Lancaster had the scalpel and
whirled swiftly hack toward the table,
np^ettlng the bichloride, which lapped
over the patient’s feet.
The moments went by like hours.
At Inst Joan became aware, through
the sudden unraveling of the suspense,
that the crux of the operation was
over. Her head grew clear again. She
saw the assistant surgeons unfasten
ing the artery clamps. The head
nurse rose to her feet, not looking at
the patient. Joan realized that she
was crying, and her strong, epicene
face looked grotesque in grief. The
orderly entne up, and together they
placed the patient on the stretcher.
And suddenly Joan knew that the
man was dead.
A# the stretcher was wheeled out of
the theater Lancaster turned towhrd
his visitors.
“A very successful piece of work,"
he said. •• It’s a pity the poor fellow
will never know how much I have
done for him.7
Joan felt the visiting surgeons' dis
gust at the execrable Jest Lancaster
seemed to sense It, too.
“Unfortunately,” he continued, “the
best of surgeons is not proof against
the stupidity of a nurse.”
he turned upon Jonn fiercely.
ADVERTISEMENT OF SALE
The undersigned, as administrat
or df the estate of John D. Aslan,
dec., by virtue of an order from
the 'Court of Ordinary, of Spalding
county, Georgia, will sell at public
outcry, on the first Tuesday in Oc
tober, 1924, at court house door in
said county, between the legal hours
of sale, the following described
land:
That lot, tract or parcel * of land
, b f . nR _ tv . , hous and tr& ,
™ * s ’ one ™
stor ® an “ '°t ln the city of Griffin,
Spalding county, Georgia, known
and described as number 504 North
Ninth street, the store being num
bered 502 North Ninth street, the
* fronting Ninth
ame on street fi0
f * __.___, Xt ? « ° , , ,
width 100 feet and bounded k as fol
* ows: North by J. M. Crawford,
east by Mrs. W. H. Crenshaw, south
100 feet on Cherry street and west
50 feet on North Ninth street,
Terms cash ---rr- 4 ———
Jesse O. FutraJ, Administrator,
CITATION
GEORGIA—Spalding County.
Ordinary’s Office, Sept. 2, 1924.
Augustus H. Frye, Guardian of
Vivian Gray Frye Saunders nee
Vivian Gray Frye, has applied to me
for a discharge from his Guardian
ship of aforesaid Vivian Gray Frye,
this is, therefore, to notify all per
sons concerned, to file their objec
tions, if any they have, on or before
the first Monday in October next,
else Augustus H. Frye will be dis
charged from his Guardianship as
applied for. D. R. CUMMING,
Ordinary, Spalding County.
CITATION
GEORGIA—Spalding County.
Ordinary’s Office, Sept. 2, 1924.
Whereas, Augustus H. Frye, ad
ministrator of estate of S. B. Frye,
represents to the Court in his peti
tion, duly filed and entered on record,
that he has fully administered the
said estate. This is, therefore, to
cite all persons concerned, kindred
and creditors, to show cause, if any
they can, why said Administrator
should not be discharged from his
administration and receive letters of
dismission, on the first Monday in
October, 1924. D. R. CUMMING,
Ordinary.
CITATION
Court of Ordinary, Sept. 2, 1924.
GEORGIA-—Spalding County.
To All Whom It May Concern:
W. Z. Gardner, as administrator of
the estate of Mrs. Caroline M. Gard
ner, deceased, having applied to me
by petition for leave to sell the real
estate of said deceased, this is to
notify the creditors and kindred that
said application will be passed upon
at the October term, 1924, of the
Court of Ordinary of said county,
and that unless cause is then shown
to the contrary, «aid leave, will.....£e
granted.
This 3rd day of September, 1924.
D. R. CUMMING, Ordinary.
CITATION
GEORGIA—Spalding County.
To All Whom It May Concern:...
A. K. Maddox, as administrator of
the estate of Julia P, Maddox,
deceased, having applied to me by
petition for leave to sell the real es
tate of said deceased, this is to no
tify the creditors and kindred that
said application will be passed upon
at the October term, 1924, of the
Court of Ordinary of said county,
and that unless cause is then shown
to the contrary said leave will be
granted.
This 11th day of September, 1924.
D. R. CUMMING, Ordinary,
CITATION
Court of Ordinary.
GEORGIA—Spalding County.
To All Whom It May Concern:
R. A. Redding and F. A. Quillian,
as executors of the will of R. J.
Redding, deceased, having applied to
me by petitioij for leave to sell the
real estate of said deceased, this is
to notify the creditors and kindred
that said application will be passed
upon at the October Term, 1924, of
the Court of Ordinary of said coun
ty, and that unless cause is then
shown to the contrary said leave wilf
be granted.
This the 3rd day of September,
1924 . D. R. CUMMING, Ordinary.
NOTICE OF SALE
The undersigned, as administrator
of the estate of Mary Greene, by
virtue of an order from the Court of
Ordinary of Spalding County, Geor
gia, will sell at public outcry, on the
first Tuesday in October, J924, at
the courthouse door in said county,
between the legai hours of sale the
following described land, and per
sonal property.
One house and lot in the City of
Griffin”, Spalding County-, Georgia,
located on South Ninth Street, No.
543; together with certain other per
sona) property, consisting principally
of household and kitchen furniture.
This September 3rd, 1924.
B. M. SHERARD, Admr.
n your earner he cmandedf
_
“Ml* 'Wentworth, Doctor Lancas
ter.”
"Well, you’re no use here. You’re k
wasting your time. You’ve killed a
man this morning," he bellowed. “If
I can’t have women about me with
rational heads on their shoulders Pll
get a gang of Chinese chop suey men.
Get out and earn your living as a ste
nographer or saleslady, "hat’s ati
your talents are fit for. Miss Went
" ° rtl1
Joan T looked at him in amazement.
At his first words, at his tone, she had
felt the shock of anger In her heart
gather Itself and leap to meet his own.
But his rnge frightened her. her head
ached, and she was sick from the
fumes which still penetrated the. the
ater. She tried to answer him. btiT
could not utter a' word nnd broke into
tears Instead, sobbing in complete
nervous abandonment.
Lancaster turned fro~ her with a
wry face. “Well, gentlemen” he said,
with an affectation of jovinlness, ‘‘bet
ter luck nest time. I‘m sorry the
operation was not successful, but.
af f w aU * * h e P at l e * v * *• not the
principal ., 1 thing. t The method was cor
rect. yon see, but I did not reckon on
an incompetent assistant.”
“Put the blame on the anesthetic,
Doctor Lancaster,” said a white
bearded surgeon, with chivalrous in
tent. “With a nephritis history opera
tion’s useless.’ Better let them die
peacefully. »»
“I did not quite grasp the technical
innovation you spoke of, Doctor Lan
caster,” said another. “To my mind
it was the original Leonard operation,
except that—” ,
44 Why did you divide the arterial
coats below the site of the aneurism?”
queried a third. ”
Lancaster led them from the the
ater, expostulating and explaining.
The dark-haired girl lingered with the
sponges. The assistant surgeons had
already gone hurriedly out. Joan put
her tray away. She still was unable
to control her sobs.
Suddenly Lancaster reappeared, fu
rious after the cross-examination to
which he had been subjected. He
came straight toward Joan with a face
of malice. Unconscious of her pitiful
aspect as a child might have been,
she raised her streaming face and
looked at him.
<1 You had no right to speak to me
like that, whatever I did,” she said.
Whatever you did? Whatever you
failed to do! What do you think you
are here for?” he stormed.
He glared at her, turned away, hes
itated, and then came back.
“That’s just the way with you
women,” he cried. “You lost that case
for me. And now you are thinking
about your dignity. You shouldn't
have taken up a nurse’s vocation. Yon
women don’t know what you can do
and what you can’t til! you find your
selves in a post of responsibility, and
then you fall down. What made you
take Up nursing, anyway Thought
opr style of caps becoming, I suppose. If
“I’ve done my best to qualify. I’ve
never been , blamed before.”
“Well. yoiV’ve made a big mistake,”
said Lancaster. “That’s all. A—very
—big—mistake,” be added, emphasiz
ing each word with a nod. “And my
work.....and pa tients' lives are tor. im
i port: at to allow mistakes To
You’re too pretty to be a-nurse, any
way.” be added in a lower tone.
t * You*don’t need to tell me that. Doc
tor Lancaster!” cried Joan furiously
He made a gesture of mock despair
■ That’s right; get on your h igh
Lorse again !” he said. “Just remem
ber that I’m at the hpad of the South
ern hospital. and what I say goes,
that’s all.” 5
(To Be Continued)
Follow The
Crowds
And You Will Eat at The
BLUE GOOSE
CAFE
OPEN ALL NIGHT
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MfflU!li!U8iHIU!'.!mS!fiililil8fl51llfi!lllltl!tllIlllii!t , r,)lti!!ttil!liiiH!!:Hi! , !!i!*i!ltHi!ll!S!t}it , iri)JM
EXECUTOR'S SALE.
By virtue of an order granted by
the Ordinary, of Spalding county
__
Wl11 , be 8old before the Court House
d °bi* in the city of Griffin, Georgia,
between the legal hours of sale, on
the first Tuesday in October, the
following described property, to*
One store on the east side of
North Hill street in the city of
Griffin, Georgia, fronting on Hill
street twenty-six (26) feet, and
running back east eighty (80) feet,
bounded north by Slaton Alley,
south by T. H. Wynne, east by an
alley an<j west by Hill street.
Said property being the property)
of the estate of O. H. Ison.
Terms: Cash.
Mrs. Mary I. Slade and E.
S. McDowell, Executors of
Estate of O. H. Ison.
A
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PAGE SEVEN
,.u . :,
Lodge Directory
WARREN LODGE
No. 20, I. O. O. F„ meets every
Monday night at 7:30 at Warren
Lodge Hall. Visiting' brothers cor*
dially invited.
R. A. PFEL, Secretary.
W. T. ATKINSON, N. G.
meridian sun lodge
No. 26, P. & A. M.
Regular meeting Tuesday .night,
October 7th, 7 o’clock. Note change
in hour. Visitors Welcome.
C. H. Scales, W. M. Bill Wills, See.
w. o. w.
Meets every Thursday, 7:30 p. m.
Sovereigns, your camp needs yonr
presence. You will find your Clerk
all times at Slaton Powell Clo. Co.
Visiting Sovereigns welcome, Come,
L. J. SAULEY, C. C.
C. C. STANLEY, Clerk.
Pythagoras No. Chapter.
10, R. A. M.
Regular meeting, Second and Fourth
Thursday, 7:30 p. m. Visitors wel
some. WM. T. ATKINSON, H. P.
WELLS, ,
Secretary.
Ben Barrow Lodge
. • No. 687 F. & A. M.
Next meeting Oct. 2nd.
L. B. GUEST, W. M.
CLIFFORD GRUBBS, Secty.
Funeral Directory
\d- I l ijHjp
HAISTEN BROS. CO.
FUNERAL DIRECTORS
AND EMBALMER5
Griffin and Senoia, Georgia
Office Phone 575. Res. Phone €8
FRANK S. PITTMAN
Funeral Director
and Erabaimer
Office Phone 822. Res. Phone 6R
E. D. FLETCHER
Embalmer and Funeral Director
, With
Griffin Mercantile Co,
Office Phone 474 Res. Phone 4:1
P. E. A.RNALL G. N. MURRAY
P. E. Arnall & Co.
•
Insurance of All Kinds
We Would Appreciate ” '
Your Business
J. C. BROOKS O. S. TYUS
r / * ,Z^VV
Railroad Schedule
CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RY.
Arrival and Departure of Passenger
Trains at Griffin, Ga.
The schedules are published as infor
mation and are not guaranteed:
North South
2:29 p.m. Altanta-SavTi 11:06 p.m.
4:30 a.m. Atlanta-Sav’h 8:07 a.m.
5:47 a.m. Chigo-Cto-Jax 11:55 p.m.
6:53 a.m. Chigo-St. L.-Jax 8:42 p.m.
9:01 a.m. Atlanta-Macon 5:20 p.m.
12:25 p.m. Atlanta-Macon 2:17 p.m.
5:57 p.m. Atlanta-Albany 12:19 a.m.
Chattanooga Division
From: For:
2:30 p.m. Chattanooga 9:45 a.m.
8:15 a.m. Cedartown 6:26 p.m.
SOUTHERN RAILWAY
From: For:
Atlanta points—
5:53 p.m. East—West 18:02 a.:
10:02 a.m. ColT>us-Ft.Valley 5:53 pj
FOR SALE
1 two story granite building
on N. Hill street with three
fronts on Hill street.
1 10-room house on S. Hill
street. This one of the fin
est homes in Griffin, with
east front.
2 Bungalows on Oak st.
3 houses on Raymond st.
1 house on south Eighth s*
Phone 303 and 1028
T. EZRA MANN
104 V* 8. Hill St.